The Four Gates
Every Sika ne Gold transaction passes four gates in sequence: DD, Pay, Source, assay and refine, Ship. Refining happens in Ghana inside Gate 3, so what ships is export-ready bullion. Nothing moves to the next gate until the previous one is complete.
The Four Gates at a glance
- Gate 1
Due Diligence
Offtaker onboarding, KYC/AML and due diligence completed with Goldbod (Ghana Gold Board).
Begin here - Gate 2
Pay
Purchase funds are remitted through Goldbod under its trading conditions and allocated to local purchase.
Typical transfer: 48 hours - Gate 3
Source, assay, refine
Sika ne Gold purchases and aggregates, completes assay, and refines the doré at a GoldBod-approved licensed refinery.
Purchase and assay: 5 to 10 business days - Gate 4
Ship
Export approval after refining, assay and regulatory checks; refined 1 kg bullion delivered to the offtaker.
Delivery: 1 to 3 days once export-ready
After Gate 4, and only if you ask: Dubai customs clearance through XAU Ventures FZE. It is not a gate, and offtakers with their own clearance go direct.
What happens at each gate
Timelines are typical and run from completion of the previous gate. They depend on counterparty responsiveness, banking channels and logistics.
Complete DD with Goldbod
- Submit corporate documents, beneficial ownership and authorised signatories
- KYC/AML and sanctions screening
- Due diligence completed with Goldbod (Ghana Gold Board)
- Agree product, fineness, volume, Incoterms and pricing basis
Remit purchase funds through Goldbod
- Funds remitted per Goldbod trading conditions; wire and FX path through Goldbod
- Typical transfer time: 48 hours
- Funds allocated to the transaction on receipt
Sika ne Gold purchases, assays and refines
- Doré bought and aggregated from licensed miners and local licensed traders
- Assay on purchase; purchase and assay take 5 to 10 business days from funds allocation
- Doré refined at a GoldBod-approved licensed refinery in Ghana, on the refinery schedule
- Refining cost per commercial terms with the offtaker
- Serial, hallmark and assay certificate issued per 1 kg bar
Export approval and delivery
- Export approval once refining, assay and regulatory checks are confirmed
- Secure packing and insured air freight (FOB Ghana or CIF)
- Delivery timeline: 1 to 3 days once export-ready
From DD completion to delivery in a few weeks
With due diligence complete, a typical transaction moves from funds transfer (≈48 hours) through purchase and assay (5 to 10 business days) and licensed refining to delivery (1 to 3 days). Deals typically close in a few weeks.
Typical timeline, to scale
Calendar days after due diligence. Hatched ends show the range.
Start at Gate 1
Begin due diligence today. Our team will guide you through the Goldbod DD requirements.